Written Answers. - Higher Education Grants.
Austin Deasy
Ceist:
380
Mr. Deasy
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
if he will ensure that the condition which means finance lease payments are not an allowable expense in determining reckonable income for a third level grant is altered; and if he will examine the case of a person (details supplied) in County Waterford.
[31507/01]
The statutory framework for the maintenance grants schemes, as set out in the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts, 1968 to 1992, provides for means tested higher education grants in order to assist students to attend full-time third level education.
The assessment of means under the third level maintenance grants scheme is based on gross income from all sources with certain social welfare and health board payments being exempt. When assessing income from self-employment or farming, the amount assessed is the adjusted profit or loss for income tax purposes from all self-employed activities, both Irish and foreign, whether or not they are exempted or relieved from Irish income tax. Finance leases are not deductible from the adjusted profit in computing reckonable income for grant purposes. There are no plans at present to alter the treatment of finance leases in the calculation of reckonable income under the higher education grants schemes.
It is the relevant local authority or VEC to which application for a maintenance grant must be made. Decisions on applications are taken by these bodies based on the terms of the schemes which issue from my Department. These bodies do not refer individual applications to my Department except, in exceptional cases, where, for example, advice or instruction regarding a particular clause in the relevant scheme is desired. It appears that no such advice or instruction has, to date, been sought in the case referred to by the Deputy. If an individual applicant considers that she or he has been unjustly refused a maintenance grant, or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she or he may appeal to the relevant local authority or VEC.
Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down, in writing, by the relevant local authority or VEC, and remains of the view that the body has not interpreted the schemes correctly in his or her case, a letter outlining the position may be sent to my Department. Alternatively, as already indicated, the local authority or VEC may itself, in exceptional circumstances, seek clarification on issues from my Department. It is not open to me, or my Department, to depart from the terms of the maintenance grants schemes in individual cases.
Until such time as an application has been decided on by the relevant local authority or VEC, all inquiries regarding an individual application should be directed to the body concerned rather than to my Department.
